Signal system for railways.



v PATBNTBD APR..14, 1908. M. G. VOIGTLANDBR. SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1906.

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PATENTED' APR. 14, 1908.

M. G. VOIGTLANDER. SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9,1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAXIMILLIAN G. VOIGTLANDER, OF HARRISON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES A. GRAFT, OF HARRISON, OHIO.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, h/IAXIMILLIAN G. VOIGTLANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrison, in the county of Harm ilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Systems for Railways, (Case 13,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signal systems for railways, and is primarily an improvement upon the signal system for railways, shown, described and claimed in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 232,678, filed November 14, 1904, and my invention consists in providing a signal system with means for forming a permanent record of the signals transmitted, and in new and improved instrumentalities and connections for accomplishing the same, and the invention will be readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings in which latter:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the track and tower of my improvement showing the electric connections for the track in diagrammatic manner. Fig. 2 isa diagram view of the signal apparatus on the vehicle, the said signal apparatus being shown in its simpler form. Fig 3 is a side elevation of the electric contacts. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the time-recorder. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, partly in vertical section on the line ac x of Fig. 4

and partly with the casing removed to show interior construction; and, Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the switch-lever.

I have executed other applications for Letters Patent of even date herewith, designating the same as Cases A and C respectively, and being respectively Serial N 0. 329,826 and Serial No. 329,828, in which I have shown described and claimed other improvements in signal systems for railways than those herein claimed and which are applicable to the invention herein shown, described and claimed, the said Case C also claiming improvements herein shown and described but not herein claimed because claimed in said Case C. Reference is therefore made herein to said other applications.

A represents a railroad or track which crosses a second railroad or track B. The respective tracks comprise a continuous rail 1, which rails 1 are electrically connected together, and a mating rail divided into sec tions or blocks 2, insulated from each other Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 9, 1906.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 329,827.

by insulations 3, for forming a cross-over block C and adjoining blocks C C C and C The block-rail 2 of the cross-over section of track A has an insulated section 4 therein at the crossover proper separated from the respective ends of the block-rail 2 of said track by insulations 5 6, the said end-sections being bonded across said insulated section by a bond-wire 7 electrically connecting with the said respective ends of said block-rail at 8 9. of track B is provided with a similar insulated section 10 at the cross-over proper insulated from the respective ends of said block-rail 2 of track B by insulations 11 12, the said respective ends being bonded across said insulated section by means of a bondwire 13 connecting with said last-named respective end-sections at 14 15.

Each of the block-rails of the respective blocks is provided with contact-plates at either side thereof and at each end thereof projecting preferably into but insulated from blocks in advance thereof, as more fully shown and described in my aforesaid application Serial No. 232,678. I shall refer to these contacts as track or local contacts, and I prefer to provide a plurality of the same for each end of each block, designating the same respectively as the home plate and the dis tant plate. Thus each block at each end thereof has a home-plate 16 and a distantplate 17 projected into but insulated from a preceding block, the home-plate being connected with the block-rail of its block by a The block-rail 2 of the cross-over blockconductor 18, the distant-plate being electrically connected with the conductor 18 by a conductor 19, or the distant plate may be electrically connected with the home-plate.

Beyond each end of the cross-over blocks of tracks A and B I provide said respective tracks with an insulated rail-section or sections, the said insulated rail-sections of the respective tracks being bonded together and so connected with a signaling device and a register, that when a vehicle passes over said insulated section, its presence will be (lisclosed upon the signaling device and the register or recording device, and for forming check upon the same and upon each other, I provide the vehicle with a similar signaling and registering device, the said registering devices registering the time at which selective contacts for the respective signaling and registering devices are connected in circuit with the track or vehicle for checking the one.

fer to insert an insulated rail-section 120 in each of the block-rails of blocks 0 C C C, insulated from the adjoining portions of said block-rails by insulations 121 122, the said adjoining portions of said block-rails being bonded together by bondwires 123 connecting therewith respectively at 124 125. The insulated rail-sections 20 120 in the blocks 0 C of track A are bonded together by a bond-wire 26 and branches 26, this bondwire spanning the crossing-block.

A crossing-tower 27 is provided. In the crossing-tower there is a signal device 28 shown as an electric bell, an actuator 29 shown as a battery, and a recording device 30, or register, the said signaling device and register being electrically connected with the bond-wire 26 and the continuous rail 1 of track A. The signaling device and register are shown as separate structures but they may be one structure if desired. Thus a conductor 31 connects with the bond-wire 26 at 32 and with one pole of the battery at 33. A conductor 34 connects with the other pole of the battery at 35 and with one pole of the bell at 36. A conductor 37 connects with the other pole of the bell at 38 and with the register at 39, a conductor 40 connecting with the other pole of the register at 41 and with the continuous rail 1 of track A at 42.

A bond-wire 126 with branches 126 electrically connect the insulated rail-sections 20 120 in blocks C and C of track B, this bondwire also spanning the crossing-block. In the tower there is also a signaling device and register electrically connected with this lastnamed bond-wire and track B. Thus I have shown a bell 128, a battery 129, and a register 130. A conductor 131 connects with the bond-wire 126 at 132 and with one pole of the battery at 133. A conductor 134 electrically connects at 135 with the other pole of the battery and one pole 136 of the bell. A conductor 137 connects with the other pole 138 of the bell and with one pole 139 of the register. A conductor 140 connects with the other pole 141 of the register and with the continuous rail 1 of track B at 142. to locate the insulated rail-sections 20 in advance' of the home-plates 16, that is between the home-plate and distant-plates, and the insulated rail-sections 120 in advance of the distant-plates. These insulated rail-sections 20 120 may also be designated local-signal contacts or tower-contacts.

The register may be of any desirable form I prefer' and comprise a case 43 in which there is a clock mechanism 44 and a dial-plate 45 operated thereby, the dial-plate being adapted to have attached thereto suitable dials 46 on which are depicted the time or hours of the day, as shown at 46, the time divisions being of as short duration as maybe desired, the clock-mechanism being arranged to advance the dial corresponding to the time, so that the time indicated on the dial may at the proper moment and in correct sequence be opposite the pointer. Thus the hour-hand shaft 47 of the clock-mechanism may be connected with the dial-plate shaft 48 by a series of gears 49 50 51. and 52 to cause the dialplate to rotate half as fast as the hour-hand shaft, imparting a complete rotation to the dial-plate once in twenty-four hours. Positioning pins 53 may be provided for positioning the dial correctly with relation to the pointer on the dial-plate to correspond with the time indicated by the clock-mechanism. A door 54 provided with a lock 55 may be provided for the case so that the dials may be inserted and removed only by an inspector or other officer provided with its key.

The pointer 57 is provided with a marking oint 58 arranged to contact with the dial for eaving a mark thereon. The pointer is actuated by an electro-magnet 59 or other suitable actuating device which is adapted to actuate the pointer when a vehicle spans the continuous rail and the insulated rail-sections 20 or 120 with which the register is in electrical connection. Thus the pointer is shown on an armature 60 adapted to be attracted by the coils 61 when the current is closed by the contact of a vehicle-wheel with one of said insulated rail-connections. A spring 62 normally holds the pointer in normal position against a stop 63. WVhen in normal position, the pointer retains a given location adapted to mark a continuous or regular mark upon the dial as the latter is being moved relatively to the pointer.

As soon as electrical connection is made with the register by reason of the spanning of the insulated rail-section 20 or and the continuous rail 1 by the wheels and axle of a vehicle, the armature 60 is attracted by the coils, thereby shifting the pointer out of nor mal position and making a corresponding mark upon the dial, the said pointer remaining in abnormal location with the dial passing relatively thereto and continuing in such abnormal location while said circuit is closed. When the gap between said insulated railsection 2 and the continuous rail 1 is no longer spanned by the wheels and aXle of a vehicle, the pointer will return to normal po 1 an electric bell, and a registering device 68,

similar to the register 30, are mounted on the vehicle at the engineers position in the case of a locomotive and the motormans position in case of an electrically driven vehicle, or at the position of the vehicle or train operator. A battery 69 is also shown as on the vehicle.

' The said battery, signal and register are electrically connected with the axle and wheels and with contact-plates 70 170 on the vehicle, designated as traveling contacts.

The traveling contacts may be in the form of brushes, wheels or rolls. These contacts are respectively mounted on a spring-arm 71 secured to but insulated from the wheeltruck 72 at 73, a rod 7 4 limiting the movement of the spring-arm and preventing excessive vibration thereof. The home and distant plates, or as they may be termed, track or local contacts, are preferably secured to the rails by means of brackets 75 secured to but insulated from said rails by insulated connections 76.

The traveling contacts are adapted to make contact with the home and distant contact-plates or local contacts on the respective blocks, the traveling contact 70 making such contact during forward travel of the vehicle and the traveling contact 170 making such contact during backward travel of the vehicle. Thus I have shown a conductor 81 connecting with one pole of the battery at 82 and with the traveling contact 70 at 83 a conductor 181 connecting with the traveling contact 17 0 at 183. An electric switch 84 is interposed between said conductors 81 181 for causing electric connection between said battery and either of said traveling contacts. A conductor 85 connects the other pole 86 of said battery with one pole 87 of the bell, a conductor 88 connecting the other pole 89 ot the bell with one pole 90 of the traveling register, a conductor 91 connecting the other pole 92 of the traveling register with the axle and wheels 66 of the vehicle through the medium of the axle-bearing 94 at 95.

If desired, the tracks of the crossing-block may be provided with derails in advance of the crossing proper and suitable connections may be provided for manipulating said derails from the crossing-tower. The derails are shown at 101. A bond-wire 102 spans each derail and is electrically connected at 103 104 with the rail in which the derail is located. An electric bond 105 connects the rail in Which the derail is located with its mating rail at 106 107.

- 108 is in this bond and has a link 109 connectcontact thereon and the local contact.

An electric switch said derails for closing said derails. Flexible connections 115 115 connect the deraillever 11 1 with the respective derails in track B for opening said derails and flexible connections 116 116 connect said lever with said derails for closing said derails.

Upon approach of a vehicle toward any block, contact is made between the traveling when such contact is made a vehicle be present in such block toward which said firstmentioned vehicle is traveling, or if the derail in any such block be open, or other derangement be present as more fully shown and described in my aforesaid applications, circuit will be formed between therails of such block through the local and traveling contacts, the conductors, battery, bell and register on the vehicle and the axle and wheels of the vehicle through the continuous rail for operating the signal and the registering device on the vehicle, the pointer on the registering device indicating abnormal marking on the dial of said traveling register, the time indicated by such abnormal marking being also indicated where a time-register is employed. The dials may be paper dials with the hour and minute or other time markings thereon, as indicated at 46, and are removed by the proper inspector who is provided with a key for opening the case 43, a new dial being inserted for the old or used dial. In Fig. 2 the normal marking on the dial is indicated at 117 and the abnormal marking at 118.

Illustrating the check there is in my improved system by the traveling and local time-registers upon each other, we will assume that a train is approaching the crossing-block from the block C. Contact will first be made with the insulated section 120 in the block G for closing the circuit with the bell 28 and register 30 in the tower, registering the time of contact of said vehicle with said insulated section and the length of continuance of such contact. The alarm thus given to the tower operator enables him to arrange his levers which throw the derails in the crossing-block for giving said vehicle the right of way or not in the crossing-block of track A. If such right of way is given the vehicle, the operator will throw the lever 111 for opening the derails of track B, thereby blocking said crossing-block from travel of vehicles on track B.

In the meantime the vehicle has proceeded to the distant plate alongside block C where the driver receives signal as to the condition of the crossing-block. If the tower-operator ,has opened the derails of track A of the crossing-block, or a vehicle be present in track A of said crossing-block, the driver of the vehicle receives signal accordingly and halts. If the crossing-block afterwards shows clear he proceeds and next arrives at g the insulated rail-section 20, whereupon the tower-signal and indicator are operated, again calling the attention of the tower-operator to the presence of said vehicle and enabling him to reset his derails if desired. The vehicle proceeding will reach the home-contacts, where its driver will again receive signal as to the condition of the crossing-block before he proceeds into it. Said vehicle may then proceed through said crossing-block of track A and pass over the insulated sections 20 120 of block C of track A, thereby again closing circuit with the signal 28 and register 30 in the crossing-tower and registering the time of departure of said vehicle from said crossing-block. Similar operations and conditions will prevail in the passage of a vehicle over track B. In this manner permanent record of the conditions of said tracks is made upon the traveling recorder, as well as the length of continuance of abnormal conditions, and permanent record is also made upon the tower recorders of the approach of vehicles to, their departure from, and the continuance of the same in the crossingblock, the local and traveling signals and recorders being check one upon the other.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprising a given block, a local contact for said given block in advance thereof, a travelin recorder having electric connection for said local-contact, a local recorder, local-contacts at both ends of said given block for the latter, the last-named local contacts having electric connection with said local recorder for indicating the passage into and out of said block of a vehicle.

2. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks, localcontacts for the respective blocks, a traveling signal, a traveling contact for said local contacts having electric connection with said traveling signal, local signal-contacts at the respective ends of the respective blocks, and a local si nal having electric connection with said loca signal-contacts for indicating the passage of a vehicle into and out of said respective blocks, substantially as described.

3. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprising a given block, said iven block having a plurality of local trave ing-recorder con-' tacts in advance thereof and electrically connected therewith, a plurality of local-recorder contacts respectively in advance of said respective traveling recorder-contacts, a.

traveling recorder having electric connection acting with said local traveling-recorder contacts for actuating said traveling recorder, and a local recorder having electric connection acting in conjunction with said local recorder-contacts.

4. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprising a given block, a local contact in advance of said given block having electric c0nnection therewith, a traveling recorderarranged to make electric connection with said local contact, a local-recorder contact for said given block distanced from said first-named local contact, and a local recorder in electric circuit with said local-recorder contact.

5. In a signal system for railways, the combination of tracks divided into blocks including a crossing-block, said crossing-block having a derail therein, a tower, means in said tower for operating said derail, a local contact having electric connection with said crossing-block, a tower-recorder, said track in advanceof said crossing-block having con-.

tact-parts in electric connection with said tower-recorder, a traveling vehicle having contact-parts thereon for the electric circuit in said last-named connections, and a traveling recorder on said vehicle having electric connection including a traveling contact-part for making contact with said first-named local contact.

6. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprising a given block, a local contact in advance thereof electrically connected there with, a plurality of local operated-device contacts for said given block located at the respective ends of said given block, one of said operated-device contacts being in advance of said first-named local-contact, a local operated-device having electric connection with said local operated-device contacts, a vehicle, a traveling operated-device thereon having electric connection for said first-named local contact, and electric connection thereon for said local operated-device contacts and the electric connections therefor.

7. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprisin a given block, a plurality of local con tacts or said given block in advance thereof and electrically connected therewith, a traveling recorder having electric connection for said local contacts, a local recorder, a plurality of local-recorder contacts arranged alternately with said first-named local contacts in advance of said given block and a further local-recorder contact at the rear of said given block, said local-recorder contacts having electric connection with said local recorder for indicating the passage into and out of said block of a vehicle, substantially as described.

8. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks and comprising a given block, a local contact of said given block having electric connection therewith, a Vehicle, a traveling signal and traveling recorder arranged to make electric connection with said local contact, a localsignal contact in advance of said given block, and a local signal and local recorder in electric circuit with said local-signal contact on contact of the latter by said vehicle.

9. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprising a given block, a local blockcontact for said given block in advance thereof, a local signal, a local-signal contact for said track in advance of said given block having electric connection with said local signal, a vehicle, and a traveling signal on said vehicle having electric connection for said local contact, substantially a described.

10. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a track divided into blocks comprising a given block, a traveling vehicle, a traveling signal and traveling time recorder thereon, a local signal and a local time recorder, a local block-contact and a local-signal contact in a block in advance of said givenblock, said local block-contact having electric connection with said given block and said local-signal contact having electric connection with said local signal and time recorder, a traveling contact-part on said vehicle having electric connection on said vehicle with said traveling signal and time recorder and arranged to have electric circuit pass therethrough upon contact of said traveling contact with said local block-contact and the occupancy of said given block, electric circuit being made with said local signal and local time recorder upon contact of said local-signal contact by said vehicle.

11. In a signal system for railways, the combination of tracks divided into blocks including a crossing-block, said crossing-block having derails therein, a signal tower, means in said tower for operating said derails, local contacts having electric connection with said crossing-block, a tower signal and tower recorder, said track in advance of said crossing-block having contact-parts in electric connection with said tower signal and recorder, a traveling vehicle having contact-p art thereon for completing the electric circuit in said last-named connections, a traveling sig nal and a traveling recorder on said vehicle having electric connection including a traveling contact-part for making contact with said local contact for completing electric circuit therethrough.

12. In a signal system for railways, the combination of tracks divided into blocks including a crossing-block, said crossingblock having derails therein, a signal tower, means in said tower for operating said derails, local contacts having electric connection with said crossing-block, a tower signal, said track in advance of said crossing-block having contact-parts in electric connection with said. tower signal, a traveling vehicle having contact-part thereon for complet-' ing the electric circuit in said last-named connections, a traveling signal on said vehicle having electric connection including a traveling contact-part .for making contact with said local contacts for completing electric circuit therethrough.

13. In a signal system for railways, the combination of tracks divided into blocks including a crossing-block, a local contact in advance of said crossing-block having electric connection with the latter, a tower-contact in advance of said local contact, and a tower signal and tower recorder having electric connection with said tower-contact, substantially as described.

14. In a signal system for railways, the combination of tracks divided into blocks including a crossing-block, the tracks of said crossing-blocks comprising derails, a tower, means therein for operating said derails, local contacts in advance of said crossingblock having electric connection with the lat ter, tower-contacts in advance of said local contacts, and a tower signal and tower recorder having electric connection with said tower-contacts, substantially as described.

15. In a s ignal system for railways, the combination of tracks comprising an electrically continuous rail and a block-rail divided into blocks and comprising a crossingblock, local contacts in advance of said crossing-blocks having electric connection therewith, tower contacts in advance of said local contacts, a crossing tower, tower signals and tower recorders having electric connection respectively with the tower contacts of said respective tracks, a traveling signal, a traveling recorder, and a traveling contact in electric circuit through said local contact upon occupancy of said. crossing block, substantially as described.

16. In a signal system for railways, the combination of tracks comprising an electrically continuous rail and a block-rail divided into blocks and comprising a crossingblock, local contacts in advance of said cross ing-block having electric connection therewith, tower contacts in advance of said local contacts, a crossing tower, tower signals and tower recorders having electric connection respectively with the tower contacts of said respective tracks, a traveling signal, a traveling recorder, and a traveling contact, the tracks of said crossing-blocks comprising derails, means for operating said derails, said traveling signal, recorder and traveling contact being in electric circuit with said local contact upon engagement of said contacts and the occupancy of the respective tracks of said crossing-block or the opening of the derail therein. I

17. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a pair of tracks each comprising an electrically continuous rail and a mating rail insulated into blocks comprising a crossing-block, a local contact in each track beyond the respective ends of said crossingblock and having electric connection therewith, the respective blocks in advance of said crossing-block having insulated rail sections therein and a local contact and local recorder for each of said tracks having electric con nection with its respective insulated rail sections.

18. In a signal system for railways, the combination of a pair of tracks each comprising an electrically continuous rail and a mating rail insulated into blocks comprising a crossing-block, a local contact in each track beyond the respective ends of said crossingblock and having electric connection therewith, the respective blocks in advance of said crossing-block having insulatedrail-sections therein, and a local contact and local recorder for each of said tracks having electric connection with its respective insulated railsections, a traveling vehicle, and a traveling signal, recorder and contact-part thereon in electric circuit upon contact of said traveling contact-part with a local contact and the occupancy of the track of said crossing-block upon which said vehicle is located.

lated rail-sections, a traveling vehicle, and a traveling signal, recorder and contact-part thereon in electric circuit upon contact ofsaid traveling contact-part with a local contact and the occupancy or derailing of the track of said crossingblock upon which said vehicle is located.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name hereto in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAXIMILLIAN G. VOIGTLANDER.

Witnesses:

CORDELIA OHEARiI, A. F. HERBsLEB.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 884,783, granted April 14, 1908, upon the application of Maximillian G. Voigtlander, of Harrison, Ohio, for an improvement 'in Signal Systems for Railways, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 102, page 2, the Word current should read circuit, and in line 104, same page, the compound word rail-connections should read mil-sections; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of May, A. D., 1908.

[SEAL] C. G. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

